Traditional wheel cleaning products are solutions of surfactant and/or acid-based formulations which are simply sprayed onto the wheel and wiped, thereby cleaning the surface. A problem that has persisted in the art is that these traditional products do not offer any protection against aggressive liquids (e.g., acid rain, road tar, asphalt, oil, etc.) and the subsequent deposit of brake dust and other miscellaneous dust particles which build-up due to static electricity. The inventive composition and method provide a solution to this problem.